Selamawi Haileab Asgedom

Selamawi Haileab Asgedom, also called Mawi, is the main character of this book. He was very young when his family had to leave their home, and his memories are mixed with stories other people have told about his journey across the desert. He remembers living in the refugee camp where he played soccer with stones, was beaten by his teachers, and learned to fight with other students. His family moved to America where they had to become accustomed to a new culture. His father stressed that he needed good grades, and for a while he did well academically. However, people at school made fun of him, and he developed a low self esteem. With the encouragement of his family, he pulled himself out of that rut and began to do better academically once again. He wasn't perfect, and when he was young he liked to take...